US2553684A - Bagging machine with feed and feed cutoff operated by motor-driven and brake retarded receptacle support - Google Patents

Description

May 22, 1951 2,553,684 BAGGING MACHINE WITH F ND FEED CUTOFF OPERATED BY MOTOR DRIVEN AND BRAKE RETARDED RECEPTACLE SUPPORT f? F'TO/ENEVS m m L U n O s m 1 0 .D d P 6 E n F Z5 Z6? 0-i- WNW Patented May 22, 1951 BAGGING MACHINE WITH FEED AND FEED *CUTOFF OPERATED BY MOTOR-DRIVEN AND BRAKE RETARDED 'RECEPTACLE SUPPORT Peter J. Soulen, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to Pal-O-Pak Insulation Company Inc., Hartland, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 13, 1945, Serial No. 622,210

3 Claims. (01. 226-25) The present invention relates generally to improvements in the art of packing bulk commodities in containers such as bags, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of mechanism for bagging relatively loose fibrous material such as building insulation or the like.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved bagging machine for diverse bulk materials, which is simple and durable in construction and highly efficient in use.

Some of the more specific objects of the invention are as follows:

To provide improved mechanism for introducing batches of relatively loose and fibrous materials into receptacles such as open ended bags, in a manner whereby approximately uniform batches are inserted into each of the successive receptacles.

To provide an improved bulk material bagging assemblage which is semi-automatic in operation, and which functions to fill the successive bags both rapidly and efiectively.

To provide an improved bagging machine which is conveniently operable with minimum attention, and which is also safe and reliable in operation.

To provide an improved bagger for diverse bulk materials which are delivered in a substantially continuous stream from a source of production, and which has enormous capacity considering its simplicity and compactness.

To provide a new and useful bag filling mechanism which is durable in construction, and which may also be readily installed and operated at moderate cost.

To provide an improved insulation bagging assemblage especially adapted to handle fibrous bulk material, and which may be readily adjusted and operated to vary the density or compactness of the batches being inserted within the successive receptacles.

These and other specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the several features constituting my present improvement, and of the construction and operation of a typical material bagging machine embodying the invention, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a typical fibrous insulation bagging machine showing the material supply and feed tube packed with the bulk product, and also showing the bafile carriage in approximately mid-position;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a portion of the improved bagging assemblage, showing only a fragment of the feed tube and alsoshowing the bafile carriage in approximately midposition;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the mechanism taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2, but showing the location of the limit switches on both sides;

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram showing the approxi mate arrangement of the actuating motors, switches and other electrical apparatus involved: in the improved bagging system; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the electric: motor and brake for restraining the downward, movement of the bag retarding bafile plate or ele ment along the inclined supporting trough.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as being advantageously applicable to electric motor operated machines for confining batches of fibrous building insulation material in successive bags, it is not my desire or intention to unnecessarily restrict th use or utility of the improvement by virtue of this specific embodiment.

Referring to the drawing, the typical motor driven insulation bagging assemblage shown therein, comprises in general a slightly downwardly inclined stationary bulk material feed tube or cylindrical spout 6 having its upper end in communication with a supply hopper 1 and its lower outlet end 8 open, while the interior of the tube is provided with a feed member or screw 9 adapted to be operated by an ordinary electric motor [0; a similarly inclined fixed bag supporting trough ll mounted upon a suitable frame l2 with the upper trough end spaced slightly below the open spout end 8, the upper side portions of the frame [2 bein provided with parallel tracks l3 which are also slightly inclined in the general direction of the trough H; a bag retarding element or bafile plate [4 mounted upon a carriage l5 having supporting wheels l6 coacting with the tracks 13; a pair of roller chains I! each having its opposite ends attached to the carriage I5, and coacting with sprockets l8 journalled in the upper and lower ends of the frame 12; a reversible electric motor l9 having its rotor drivingly connected to the lower sprockets I8 by suitable tooth or chain gearing 20, and being provided with a friction brake 2| which is adjustable to vary the motor speed; and three limit switches 22, 23, 24 mounted on the main frame I2 in operative'relationship to the carriage l5, and being cooperable with a pair of foot- operable floor switches 25, 26 to control the operation of the assemblage.

The inclined feed tube or spout 6 is cylindrical and of such diameter and length that th successive bags which are to be filled with material may be slipped snugly over the spout until the bag bottoms span the outlet end 8 of the tube; and the hopper i which communicates with the upper inlet end of the spout 6, may communicate directly with the disintegrating chamber of; a hammer-mill in which fibrous insulation is pro: duced from newsprint, or with any other suitable source of bulk material supply. The fixed and slightly inclined bag supporting trough H be formed of sheet metal bent g shallow tro gh shape, and the trough supporting frame i2 may be produced from structural steel, while the carriage l5 and its bag retarding bafile plate M may also be formed of sturdy sheet metal. when the carriag wheels It advance along the guide tracks. 13, the ca ia e and b f P a l4 should travel in approximately central aline: m-ent with the feed tube or spout 5, and the car: ria g e i5 is provided with suitable cams or well known construction, adapted to actuat the limit switches 22, 23, 2 at predetermined moments. These limit switches are adjustably mounted upon supporting b ack s E s -r d to the frame '2 seas to insure automatic functioning of the, con,- trol switches at the proper moments, and the switches 22, 23 constitute controls for the move: ments of the carriage l5 and plate i4 while the switch 24 controls the operation of the feed member or screw 9 in a manner to b subseouently d sc e While the feed screw driving motor It is 1'0.

tatable in one direction only, the carriage and retarding element operating motor i8 is of a reversible type since it is adapted to advance the carriage l5 and the retarding plate it in opposite directions under certain conditions of oper: ation. The friction brak 2! for retardingthe carriage motor speed, comprises a brake shoe 3i ca r ed by a m 3 pivotelly sus ende a one end from the frame 52 and having an adjustable tension spring 33 secured ,to its opposite swinging end for pressing the shoe 3| into frictional engagement with a drum es secured to the motor rotor, see Fig. 5. The tension of the spring is adjustable in order to positively predetermine the pressure to which the fibrous material is subjected while being forced into the successive bags by the feed screw 5. The carriage control limit switches 22, 23 cooperate with the motor [9 through a reversing relay 28, while the feed screw control limit switch 2 3 likewise cooperates with the motor it through a relay 25, both of which are of well known construction and are shown diagrammatically in Fig. i. The motors ID, [9 are mounted in relatively protective ZQI'IBS or localities, and the sprockets i8 and gearing gt, are normally enclosed by suitable safety house ings as shown in Fig. l; and an overflow chute 5%} may be provided at the junction of the spent $5 and trough H, for material which may spill out of the loaded bags before they are finally tied and removed from the trough.

When the improved mechanism has been properly constructed and assembled as above dee scribed, and fibrous bulk material is being delivered to the pp hoppe l, the ba in chine may be placed in operation by merely slipping the successive bags over the material-feeding spout 5 and by thereafter properly actuating the several switches. After an empty bag has been applied to the spout 3 and the retarding baflle plate [4 has been brought intocontactwith the bag bottom which spans the outlet spout end 8 by operation of the motor I9, the motor Ill will be automatically operated by closing of the limit switch 26 and will thereby. cause the feed screw 5 to revolve and to force fibrous material from th tubular spout 8 into the bag. As this loading of the bag with bulk material proceeds, the bag is progressively slid along the feed spout e. and the carriage, i5 and retarding baffle plate M are caused to rhove downwardly along the inclined tracks l3 toward the lower end of the machine, by the bull; material being introduced Qthe bag. lihis downward movement of as alon the fi ppo ts trou h H, is however retarded through the gearing 20 by the friction brake 2t applied to the rotor of the meter. t9; which is idle during the loading period, and this retardation definitely determines the Perkins era ur i rl i h t e Pr s-lest is ie ta Wh th be being loaded? Af e ch bag assessments o ded s predetermined by the initial adjustment'and proper positioning of the limit switches, a a e; We i awm as he arri e fi s e the limit switch 24 and stopsthe motor H] and he eed s r w 9; a d th tor i r thereafter closes the floor switch git er, y ro; tating the. motor is in one direction the carriage Ill and bailie plate i l to m e rap away from the bottom end of the 'mat i1 bag resting upon the trough III. When the baflie plate L41, has been thus surliciently withdrawn from the loaded bag, another. o l t [5 automatically actuates the limits stops the reversing motor Ill and c thereby causing both motors l2, idle. The insulation laden bag may then b pletely withdrawn from the open endffi of the fee Spout E 5, and the open bag end may be sealed and tied or otherwise closed, whr'eu be loaded bag may be readily removed fro vated inclined supporting trough J I, an r, equ nt emp y bag h d e a plied 10'. f onto. h Show 5- I Y V The operator should then step. on ti e other floor switch 25 thus causir g the motor I' 9,' t0 rota e i t o t d ection and t mor i carriage l5 and ,baiifie element 14 upwardlyal the tracks I3 toward the closed bag bottom. the upwardly advancing carriage l5 passes the o t switch '24, th tripping ,cain thereof is, ith: drawn and the switch 24closes thereby a, omatically starting the motor [8 and p1 ing f we t- W 9 in p tet nl tha ma i l 3% ins n ec e i w ih a whe the le at 1!! and ca riage iii reach the upper limit of t'ra e1. Another cam on the carriage" l5 thenopens the u pe lim sw t 3 t t the rat rs mol Ilfafterwhich the brake 2| again becomesefiective to retard the downward loading motion of th has and b ll pl t r a bo desir d, The bag loading cycle maythen be repeat with respect to successive bags each of which s auto matically loaded with the saine fll l llt v of bulk w rs? peek i d fun e n r s u 's ide i-J M its brake rri' gad wfi1mw F om the foregoin d ta l d desbriptien i should be a pa e the; ,i ir f i ifivsiilidii provides an in r red bulk ma erial a es. mechanism ch bes des b in simpl 9 9F and d rab e in o s ru t on. is a s hi h .r cient linoperatian and flexibl i s adaptations Except for the manual operations reguired to pply the empty bass to the ed spout and-t9 remove the filled bags-from theelevatcdsupmrt;

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3 ing trough i l, and the foot operation of the floor switches 25, 255, the machine functions automatically to load the successive bags with uniform batches of the fibrous material in a rapid and effective manner. The brake 2i and the limit switches 22, 2 3 may be quickly and conveniently adjusted to vary the filling pressure and the predetermined quantity of bull; material admitted to each run of bags; and the inclined disposition of the spout 6 and trough H and the I elevation of these parts considerably above the floor level permits ready application of the empty bags to the feed tube and removal of the loaded bags from the machine. The improved mechanism because of its simpli ity may obviously be manufactured, installed and operated with minimum attention to fill bags with diverse materials at moderate cost; and the assemblage has proven highly satisfactory and successful in actual commercial use.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of operation, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A bull; material bagging system comprising, a stationary cylindrical feed spout inclined downwardly toward its outlet end at a slight angle relative to the horizontal and having a diameter adapted for snug sliding coaction with the interiors of the successive empty bags applied there to with the bag bottoms spanning said outlet end,

a feed member operable within said spout to deliver bulk material from said outlet end into each bag and to thereby gradually fill and slip the bag from the spout periphery, a similarly slightly inclined fixed trough extending away from said outlet end beneath and parallel to said spout and upon which the lower side portion of each bag rests and is slidable while the bag is being filled, a bag retarding element guided for movement along said inclined trough and being movable downwardly along the trough by the bottom of the downwardly advancing bag resting within the trough, an electric motor having a reversible rotor drivingly connected to said retarding element and being positively rotatable in one direction to move said element away from the bottom of each material laden bag and in the opposite direction to advance the element toward said spout opening whenever an empty bag is applied to the spout, and a brake coacting with said motor rotor when idle for frictionally restraining the downward movement of said retarding element and of the bag coacting therewith in opposition to the moving force applied to the bag by said feed member.

2. A bulk material bagging system comprising, a stationary cylindrical feed spout inclined downwardly toward its outlet end at a slight angle relative to the horizontal and having a diameter adapted for snug sliding coaction with the interiors of the successive empty bags applied thereto with the bag bottoms spann ng said outlet end, a feed member operable within said spout to deliver bulk material from said outlet end into each bag and to thereby gradually fill and slip the bag from the spout periphery, a similarly slightly inclined fixed trough extending away from said outlet end beneath and parallel to said spout and upon which the lower side portion of each bag rests and is slidable while the bag is being filled,

a bag retarding element guided for movement along inclined trough and being movable downwardly along the trough by the bottom of the downwardly advancing bag resting within the rough, an electric motor having a reversible rotor drivingly connected to said retarding element and being positively rotatable in one direction to move said element away from the bottom of each material laden bag and in the opposite direction to advance the element toward said spout opening whenever an empty bag is applied to the spout, a brake coacting with said motor rotor when idle for frictionally restraining the downward movement of said retarding element and of the bag coacting therewith in opposition to the moving force applied to the bag by said feed. member, and electrical control mechanism for automatically starting said feed memher and for deenergizing said motor whenever said retarding element has been advanced to its fullest extent toward said spout oulet end.

3. A bulk material bagging system oomprising, a stationary cylindrical feed spout inclined downwardly toward its outlet end at a slight angle relative to the horizontal having a diameter adapted for snug sliding coaction with the interiors of the successive empty bags applied thereto with the bag bottoms spanning said outlet end, a feed member operable within said spout to deliver bulk. material from said outlet end into each bag and to thereby gradually fill and slip the bag from the spout periphery, a similarly slightly inclined fixed trough extending away from said outlet end beneath and parallel to said spout and upon which the lower side por' tion of each bag rests and is slidable while the bag is being filled, a carriage guided to travel along said trough and having thereon a retarding plate engageable with each bag bottom and movable downwardly by the downwardly sliding bags resting within the trough, an electric motor having a reversible rotor drivingly connected to said carriage and being positively rotatable in one direction to move said plate away from the bottom of each material laden bag and in the opposite direction to advance the plate toward said spout opening whenever an empty bag is applied to the spout, and a brake coacting with said motor rotor when idle for frictionally restraining the downward movement of said carriage and of the bag coacting with said plate in opposition to the moving force applied within the bag by said feed member.

PETER J. SOULEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 142,651 Ralph Sept. 9, 1873 225,028 Straub Mar. 2, 1880 380,185 Chase Mar. 27, 1888 666,705 Shaner Jan. 29, 1901 723,072 Thom Mar. 17, 1903 749,644 Thom Jan. 12, 1904 916,700 Hampton et a1 Mar. 30, 1909 942,257 Hansen et al Dec. 7, 1909 1,037,015 Joplin Aug. 27, 1912 1,105,041 Phillips July 28, 1914 1,499,338 Bond July 1, 1924 1,611,800 Ziegner Dec. 21, 1926 1,686,477 Stoner Oct. 2, 1928 2,130,005 Gay Sept. 13, 1938

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